Fuel-Efficient Cars

In this June 30, 2016, file photo, gas is pumped into vehicles at a BP gas station in Hoboken, N.J. The Obama administration has decided not to change government fuel economy requirements for cars and light trucks despite protests from automakers.

In this June 30, 2016, file photo, gas is pumped into vehicles at a BP gas station in Hoboken, N.J. The Obama administration has decided not to change government fuel economy requirements for cars and light trucks despite protests from automakers.

(Julio Cortez / AP)

The Obama administration has decided not to change government fuel economy requirements for cars and light trucks despite protests from automakers. The decision means that automakers will still have to meet strict fuel economy requirements and that companies likely will continue building small cars and electric vehicles still even though people are buying more SUVs and trucks.

The fourth-generation 2016 Toyota Prius gets longer, leaner, more stylish and more efficient. By 2019, all hybrid and electric vehicles will have to come with sound beacons to alert pedestrians.

The fourth-generation 2016 Toyota Prius gets longer, leaner, more stylish and more efficient. By 2019, all hybrid and electric vehicles will have to come with sound beacons to alert pedestrians. (Toyota)

New hybrid and electric cars are required to make noise when traveling at low speeds so that pedestrians, especially those who are blind or have poor eyesight, will hear them coming, under a rule released Monday by the Obama administration.

The Republican Party's sweeping victory at the polls Tuesday may deal a difficult blow to one of America's most closely watched companies: Tesla, the electric car maker that's trying to revolutionize the auto industry.

Some of the biggest implications for Tesla may come in the form of new U.S.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, file photo, the Chevrolet Bolt EV debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Chevrolet Bolt, General Motors' Tesla-fighting electric hatchback for the masses, will be able to go 238 miles on a single charge.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, file photo, the Chevrolet Bolt EV debuts at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Chevrolet Bolt, General Motors' Tesla-fighting electric hatchback for the masses, will be able to go 238 miles on a single charge. (Paul Sancya / AP)

President Barack Obama is making it a little easier for electric car owners to make cross-country drives.

The White House said Thursday that it's officially designating 48 U.S. interstates as electric vehicle charging corridors, meaning drivers on those highways will be able to expect charging stations every 50 miles or so.